The 2000s were a great decade for anime. While many are still nostalgic for the classic titles of the '80s and '90s, it's getting to the point where people are starting to look back at the turn of the millennium with fondness. For some, considering a series that aired in 2002 as a "classic" anime might be a scary thought, but we're at the point where many series from the era are being revisited fondly.
Shonen anime have always been popular, and the 2000s were a great time to be a fan. Aside from absolute classic titles we still love today, the decade also had some solid series that might be getting overlooked. Here's a quick look at the best shonen anime from every year of the 2000s.
2000: Love Hina
Battle Shonen might often be what fans think of when you mention "Shonen" anime, but some of the most popular titles in the world's biggest Shonen magazines have been romantic comedies and harem series. Before notable titles like To Love Ru and Nisekoi became WSJ staples, there was Weekly Shonen Magazine's Love Hina.
The series is a pretty straightforward harem. It follows Keitarou Urashima, who, after failing to make it into Tokyo University and fulfill a childhood promise, is convinced to help run his grandmother's inn. When he gets there, he discovers that it's actually been turned into an all-girls dorm, home to five unique residents. Keitarou gradually develops a rapport with the girls while continuing to work towards fulfilling his promise.
2001: Baki the Grappler
Before Netflix brought the series back with 2018's Baki, there was the original Baki the Grappler anime that aired in 2001. While it definitely has a loyal fan base, it's always felt like a series that often goes overlooked.
The series follows the titular Baki Hanma, who spends his young life training his body to its very limit with one goal in mind: to eventually defeat his father, the fearsome Yuujirou Hanma. Dubbed the strongest man in the world, Baki faces an uphill battle, eventually setting out to find new opponents who will sharpen his skills in preparation for his ultimate showdown with his father.
2002: Naruto
One Piece just missed the cut due to it premiering in 1999, but you can bet that the rest of WSJ's "big three" are going to make it on this list. Starting things off is Naruto, a series that has remained a favorite of anime fans all across the globe for decades.
The series follows the titular Naruto as he works to become Hokage and earn the respect of the people of his hometown. With over 700 episodes, Naruto is definitely a time commitment. But it's worth the investment.
2003:Cromartie High School
Popular shonen anime often have comedic elements to them, but there aren't many that are pure comedies. Cromartie High School is a series that you might've never heard of, but you can be sure that it'll be one of the funniest anime you watch.
Despite having the grades to enter any high school he wants, Takashi Kamiyama applies to the infamous Tokyo Metropolitan Cromartie High School, which is home to some of the toughest delinquents in the country, in order to accompany his less academically gifted middle school friend. When his friend fails the laughably easy entrance exam, Takashi is left trying to change the school for the better.
2004: Bleach
It shouldn't surprise anyone to see another "big three" series here. While it might not have enjoyed the same sustained success as One Piece and Naruto, Bleach is still an iconic 2000s anime that's experiencing a bit of a renaissance thanks to the Thousand-Year Blood War anime.
The series follows Ichigo Kurosaki, who thanks to a unique ability, can see spirits. After encountering a girl from another world named Rukia who is hunting a soul-eating creature known as a Hollow, Ichigo is dragged into the conflict between Hollows and the Soul Reapers tasked with defeating them.
2005: Negima!
Negima! Is one of those series that was big when it was still running, but hasn't quite maintained much relevance. Still, it's a classic 2000s shonen that serves as an interesting time capsule.
The series follows 10-year-old Negi Springfield, who just needs to pass one more test to become a Magister Magi. However, Negi is given a strange task as his final test; he's charged with teaching English at an all-girls school in Japan. Things naturally get off to a rocky start, but Negi works hard to adjust to his new role while learning more about his students and ultimately solving the mystery of what happened to his missing father.
2006: Death Note
While it might seem a little darker than what most would normally associate with shonen anime, Death Note was one of the biggest series in WSJ during its three-year run. The series serves as both an excellent introduction to anime and a solid title to sit down and enjoy if you've never gotten around to experiencing it.
Death Note follows Light Yagami, who, after finding the titular Death Note and encountering a Shinigami named Ryuk, sets out to create a utopia by killing off criminals with the mysterious book's power. But as things play out, it's clear that this newfound godly power is affecting Light in horrible ways.
2007: Gurren Lagann
With titles like Neon Genesis Evangelion, Kare Kano, and Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water under their belt, the now-defunct Gainax was responsible for some of the most iconic anime of the 90s. Though their work in the 2000s was less prolific, the studio managed to strike gold again with 2007's Gurren Lagann.
Gurren Lagann follows friends Simon and Kamina, who are forced to live in a subterranean village. When they stumble across an ignition key for an ancient mech suit they call Lagann, the two set out to the surface world where they fight off the Spiral King and his Beastmen, who fight in giant suits called "Gunmen".
2008: Soul Eater
If there's one classic 2000s shonen that deserves a remake, it's Soul Eater. Bones' 2008 adaptation is a classic, but much like the original Fullmetal Alchemist, it ran out of source material and never got to finish adapting the manga.
The series takes place in Death City, where students at the famous Death Weapon Meister Academy work towards making things called Death Scythes, weapons that Lord Death uses to fight off various monsters in their world. The student body is split between meisters, who wield and raise these weapons to their full potential, and students who have the power to turn into Demon Weapons themselves. Soul Eater follows a trio of meisters and their Demon Weapon partners as they fight off evil enemies and work towards their ultimate goals of creating/becoming Death Scythes.
2009: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
The original Fullmetal Alchemist anime was great, but the biggest knock on it was that it didn't fully adapt Hiromu Arakawa's iconic manga. Enter 2009's Brotherhood, a series that's not only considered to be an amazing adaptation of its source material, but one of the best anime of all time.
Brotherhood follows the Elric brothers, who, after trying to use alchemy to bring back their deceased mother via human transmutation, are met with horrible consequences. Ed, the older of the two, loses an arm and a leg to the ritual, while his younger brother Alphonse loses his body completely and has his soul trapped within a suit of metal armor. Now with a new goal in mind, the brothers set out to find the legendary Philosopher's Stone and restore their bodies.
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Naruto
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widgetDisplay card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end- Release Date
- 2002 - 2007-00-00
- Showrunner
- Masashi Kishimoto
- Directors
- Hayato Date
- Writers
- Masashi Kishimoto
Cast
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Junko Takeuchi -
Noriaki Sugiyama
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming -
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Bleach
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- 2004 - 2012-00-00
- Network
- TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC, BS TV Tokyo
- Showrunner
- Tite Kubo
- Directors
- Mitsutaka Noshitani, Junya Koshida, Hodaka Kuramoto, Yasuto Nishikata, Hiroaki Nishimura, Kazunori Mizuno, Akira Shimizu, Rokou Ogiwara, Kazunobu Shimizu, Akane Inoue, Hikaru Murata, Tomoko Hiramuki, Kazuo Nogami, Taiji Kawanishi, Shigeki Hatakeyama, Eiko Nishi, Takushi Kimura, Koji Aritomi, Ogura Shirakawa, Kiyomu Fukuda, Yukio Okazaki, Mitsue Yamazaki, Yasuhiro Matsumura, Eitarou Ano
Cast
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Masakazu MoritaIchigo Kurosaki (voice)
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Fumiko OrikasaRukia Kuchiki
WHERE TO WATCH
StreamingBased on Tite Kubo's battle shonen manga, Bleach centers around Ichigo, a high school student who is dragged into the world of Soul Reapers. The original anime ended in 2012, but it was revived in 2022.
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Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
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- 2009 - 2010
Cast
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Maxey WhiteheadAlphonse Elric
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Vic MignognaEdward Elric -
Andrew LoveJerso
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Brittney KarbowskiSelim Bradley
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
